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8.30.2015

It's been awhile since I published my last Inspired By post. No particular reason for the delay. However recently, while visiting one of my favorite blogs, More Than Turquoise, I spotted fellow Southwestern blogger - Jamie, with her mega-watt style, in a top which was so unbelievable Ka-ute! In her post called Cute 'Lil Top, I was floored by what I saw...a white, off-the-shoulder top (and you all know how much I love white tops and off-the-shoulder) with a wink of a surprise in the back. In other words, the top had Glenda written all over it! To give Jamie further kudos, I added a subtle hint of turquoise to my look (notice my ring).

Long before this summer, when the fashion industry adopted the off-the-shoulder look as the latest, greatest trend, my wardrobe already had several pieces. And since I'm not one who wears a look just because the industry says I should, I have always kept this coquettish style in heavy rotation. One of my very first blog posts, called Sheer Madness (dated November 2013), is an example of one of my many shoulder baring garments. Even when my beloved fashion industry tells the world off-the-shoulder is no longer hot, I will buck the system and continue to wear mine with pride. I hope you enjoy my latest look - Inspired By...Jamie!

I enjoy making the Inspired By posts. I draw inspiration from a variety of sources - one of them being other bloggers. And since I believe in giving credit where credit is due, it gives me great pleasure to put my inspirer (a new word) on blast. Thank you Jamie for introducing me to this incredibly fun top. It's always a thrill to visit your blog {wink}

By the way, The Intersection won't happen this week. Sorry but I have a scheduling conflict. I'll see you in September 9th at The Intersection!

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8.26.2015

Last night at The Intersection I had the opportunity to style several looks suitable for an After Five event and a Poetry Reading (also called an Open Mic or a Written Word). Here are the letters which sparked the styling project:

********************

Glenda,

I have a birthday party to attend...HELP!!! My husband and I rarely attend parties, this is for a dear associate. The attire is After Five. I don't know what to wear. I love fashion and have a tendency to go overboard. Could you please offer suggestions! It will be in September which is still hot in the south. Thanks for your help!

Cynthia

Ps.
I tend to be very traditional, but I would love to break out of the box.

********************

Hello Glenda,

I am attending a Poetry Reading. The event starts at 4pm and is in a Museum Gallery. Any suggestions on what would be appropriate to wear?

Sincerely,

Frankie

********************

To help Cynthia and Frankie with their style challenge, I decided to answer and demonstrate ideas LIVE at The Intersection. Enjoy the show!

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8.25.2015

Join me on Periscope at @SoWhattoTwenty at 7pm (PST) for a fashionable Q & A.

Here is a preview of questions I'll answer:

What to wear to an After Five event

What to wear to a poetry reading

Come with your questions. I'll see you at The Intersection!

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8.24.2015

I took last week off to focus on getting my oldest son situated into his new home away from home - the University. I left my first born son behind to enjoy his college years. I did fine until it was time for us to get in the car and head back home. When I wrapped my arms around him, I burst into tears. All I could think about was the tiny baby he once was. In addition, my youngest had some drama with his Pop Warner football team that needed attention. Thank heavens all is well, and on Sunday, he and his team-mates were able to focus on their opening ceremony and scrimmage game. Both of my sons are developing into fine young men. Where has the time gone?

It seems only yesterday I, too, was a blossoming young girl of the 1970s. I remember playing "House" at recess with the other students. We would form our families and pretend we were grown-ups with children. I remember pointing to the boy who would be my husband, and stating with a commanding, sassy voice, "You're going to be the husband." Yes, I'll admit, I was pretty demanding during that time (smile). No longer demanding, and married to my real husband and with two sons, I realize how quickly time moves.

For today's look, I'm wearing a vintage 1970s dress which represents the true essence of life during that particular time. A lite and airy dress which makes me feel as if I'm taking flight when the wind bellows beneath it. A time in my life when I was innocent and began to explore through fashionable artistic expression. To embrace that particular time, this photo shoot takes place in a historic community which thrives through its bohemian art scene. Enjoy!

This morning is my oldest son's first day of college. I texted him with this simple message...

"This is the first day of the rest of your incredible life. Relax and enjoy this time. I love you."{wink}

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8.16.2015

A quick update on this week's blogging and Periscope schedule. I will be preoccupied getting my oldest ready for his move into the University, all while celebrating his birthday. I foresee this being a very emotional time for myself and my entire family. Therefore, I am taking this week off from producing content for So What to Twenty and The Intersection. However I might pop on Periscope (@SoWhattoTwenty) for a very small broadcast, and as always, you can catch me on Instagram. As you can imagine, my mind will be on other things.

In the meantime, I would like to share a HBO Documentary I watched called In Vogue: The Editor's Eye. I was happy to find the complete documentary on YouTube (except for a very small portion toward the end). The documentary gives an up close look into the history and role of Vogue's Fashion Editors from the oldest living (Babs Simpson) through the year 2012. It is a fascinating look into how these creative geniuses are able to create such iconic, and often thought provoking fashion images which allow us to fantasize and dream through their eyes.

With appearances from Vogue's Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, and Creative Director, Grace Coddington, you'll also see a brief interview from the behemoth of fashion editing - Diane Vreeland. I have always gleaned from the fashion knowledge of Ms. Polly Mellon (read about her career in Interview Magazine), who was the Fashion Editor the year I was born, 1966 (who doesn't remember a nude Nastassja Kinski with a snake wrapped seductively around her body). I was completely thrilled to see Ms. Mellen in the documentary as well. Enough of my talk. Watch the show and you'll understand why Fashion Editors are deemed Vogue's Secret Weapon. Enjoy!

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8.13.2015

Last night I had my third gathering at The Intersection on Periscope called, How to Make Accessories Werk (see video below). During the broadcast, I styled a basic LBD with several different accessory options, with each look having its own personality - the Equestrian, the After Five, the Playful, and the Quirky. The last look, which I dubbed the pièce de résistance (which I'm sure I pronounced incorrectly) was an Ode to Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. I also shared my top four accessorizing rules (see below).

To end last night's gathering, I demonstrated one of my accessory rule breakers, that is, taking a multi-colored garment or ensemble, and matching accessories to every color represented in the outfit. To shed light onto the rule, I took the dress I'm wearing in this post and paired it with black shoes, red purse, green necklace, yellow cocktail ring, blue gloves and a white bangle.The results...an outfit with too much going on. To counteract the busyness of last night's demonstration, I invited them all back today to see how I accessorized the dress in a way that werks. Enjoy!

Dressed in a multi-colored, off-the-shoulder, maxi dress of black, white, red, blue, green and golden yellow, I chose to let the dress make the statement by keeping my gold hued accessories to a minimum. Wrapped in an assortment of color, I thought it fun to wear my latest acquisition - an antique gold snake charmer wrap cuff purchased during my day at the villa. The other gold toned accessories complement the cuff plus the green and golden yellow hues in the dress. The finished look gives a polished, ancient Roman vibe with a kiss of bohemian. Hence: Often times a complete look can be created around a single accessory. Such is the case with my snake charmer cuff.

Accessories should complement the feel and flow of your attire. Accessories should not compete with your look but enhance it;

I try to stick with elements when wearing jewelry (silver, gold, rose gold, etc). I never wear head-to-toe matchy-matchy. In other words, if I'm wearing a orange pantsuit, I wouldn't wear orange earrings, bracelets, handbag, shoes, belt, etc. Or, if wearing a multi-colored outfit, select one color to play with or stick with elements. Wearing accessories to represent each color in the outfit becomes an over produced look;

When considering my own image (personality, body type and scale), I believe less is more;

It's not necessary to put accessories on every part of your body. As an example, if wearing an off-the-shoulder top or dress, the bareness of the chest and shoulders is quite alluring.

Accessories are a fun and roughly inexpensive way to add to and/or enhance your wardrobe. They truly are like the icing on a cake. However, you have to be careful when applying the icing. There are times when the icing is delicious and adds to the decadence. Then there are times when the icing is bad. When this happens, you find yourself eating around the icing to get to the cake. Don't let this happen to you. Make it all delicious so each and every bite can be enjoyed {wink}

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8.11.2015

Just stopping by to remind you about the next gathering at The Intersection. We will be LIVE on Periscope at 7:00pm (PST), tomorrow (Wednesday) - August 12, 2015. Remember, if you want to be a part of Periscope and The Intersection,
you must download the app onto your Apple (ios) or Android device. The
app is FREE and is a part of the Twitter family. So, if you're already
on Twitter, the app will automatically use your information to set-up your Periscope account. The process is super easy and only takes a moment of
your time. Trust me when I say, the persons who have joined in LIVE are
enjoying the experience. Hint: Once you have Periscope on your device, be sure to set it so you're notified when The Intersection goes LIVE.

For tomorrow, direct from my "styling studio" I'm going to share and demonstrate how to make accessories werk (werk: expression of approval) for your outfits. So come loaded with lots of questions! This topic is very near and dear to me so I hope you enjoy it. Here are some examples from previous posts on how I use accessories to enhance my look. Feel free to revisited the posts by clicking on the provided links. Enjoy and I'll see you at #TheIntersection!

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